The fact is that Vermont, much like Sweden, can survive generations of socialism before it starts to decay. You have a rural, homogeneous state in which social pressures outweigh government coersion. Cities magnify the pathologies of socialism and make them readily apparent.
Vermont is like Canada. They have no worries concerning terrorism, war or anything outside their borders.
What do they have to worry about?
Oh, I guess some terrorist blowing up a mad cow.